All about your free tow (Or, Why you’ll love our agents!)

Have you had a minute to hang out on our socials? Pop ’round to Face Book or Instagram. It’s all there. One review after another after another after another! Vehicle donors love our free-tow agents, and Angelo is one of the very best!

Many of our recycle and re-sale agents have been working alongside us for over 10 years. In every province, through rain, sleet, hail, and snow, they keep right on truckin’. They’ve hauled motorized wheelchairs and motorhomes; they strap on motorcycles and hot rods. And they really do tow everything in between!

Furthermore, they do it cheerfully — with such good humour, compassion, and care!

They get it. Understanding that donating your vehicle is a serious endeavor, they treat it seriously. They appreciate that letting a vehicle go can be emotional (sometimes that emotion is relief; sometimes it feels surprisingly sad).

Taking time out to photograph a donor with their beloved donation is pretty commonplace out there in the wilds of donation! This is the kind of service Angelo has provided, year in and year out.

A tip of our hat

We have grown to respect and love this outstanding transport agent. Angelo has been the man on the truck for Everclear Metal Recycling in BC for decades. You read that right: Decades!

We’ve lost track of our first encounter with him, but he has been serving BC vehicle donors with kindness, reliability, and flexibility for years. Donors love him. Like, they really really dig this guy.

Now, after hitting a milestone birthday, Angelo is hanging up the tow hook. It seems like a fitting time to honour the care and commitment he’s shown the hundreds of Canadians he’s worked with as they supported their chosen charities.

Five reviews that say it best

Angelo’s service from the truck has rippled out to impact several hundred Canadian charities and (no exaggeration!) hundreds and hundreds of Canadian donors. Here are just a few of their comments:

L.O., a Dodge Ram donor for The Whole Dyslexic Society wrote, “Thank you!!! It was a really emotional day and Angelo – the tow driver – was so sweet. I warned him that I might cry and he said he’s been through it 100’s of times. Then he started making jokes like he’s always the “bad guy” so we got laughing. He was so calm and understanding. And he did this for us on a Sunday! We were going out to Langley for a family reunion and I thought doing this with family around who know the history and meaningfulness of that vehicle would really help and it was no problem at all for him to meet us on a Sunday. We stayed in continual communication, phone and then texting. I appreciated that he was in communication and so easily with text. Not everyone is comfortable with texting – he was great.”

Knowledge Network Corporation Chevy S10 donor, K.S., was excited to answer our check in queries, “Did you receive a call from our tow agent in a timely and cheerful manner?”

Yes- in fact ANGELO from Everclear Metal Recycling called promptly. opened with a joke, gave me all of the information.

“Were you happy with the tow service?” ABSOLUTELY- Again, ANGELO from EVERCLEAR METAL RECYCLING told me the process, called to confirm the time, called when he was 5 minutes away, and then chatted with me while he worked. He was charming in the best way possible- from the heart. The 2000 Chevy S10 had been my husband’s truck and he passed away from cancer. So seeing the truck go made me sad. Angelo somehow knows that even old vehicles have stories, and often meaning to their owners. The world needs more Angelos!!!!

When W.N. donated their Hyundai Sonata for Diabetes Canada they noted, “All around the experience with your program was excellent. Angelo, the tow agent couldn’t have been more , pleasant. He was courteous and friendly. If there is a word better than excellent that is how I describe Angelo.“

The world needs more Angelos

A ’95 Chevy Lumina donor for a children’s charity stated simply, “This experience was quick and painless. Thank you for making it so easy. Finely tuned machine! The tow agent was friendly, prompt and very cheerful. Thanks for the great service!”

A content Toyota Tercel donor for Covenant House Vancouver said, “I received a phone call from Angelo. He was very cheerful and gave me lots of notice about the day/time he would come and take the car. The night before, he called again to confirm that he was coming, and we had a nice chat when he loaded the car onto the back of his truck. It only took about 15 minutes for the entire visit, again, faster than I’d expected.”

Angelo has received so many of these gently positive notes over the years.

He brings a famous Martin Luther King quote to mind,

~ If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’ ~

Operating machinery in all kinds of weather isn’t for just anyone. Navigating all kinds of weather and traffic and changing times — also not for just anybody. Angelo is a man with a unique set of skills who went about his everyday job with a whole lot of human kindness, good humour, and consistency. To say he did it “well” is an understatement. I don’t know about the “hosts of heaven,” but we have certainly heard a host of humans who have had nothing but praise for the guy holding the keys to hauling their donated four-wheeled gift.

Quick, simple, easy

Your free tow is just a few minutes from being booked! First, click here:

Take less than 10 minutes to fill in that form.

Then, just sit back and wait for your confirmation email (with lots of goodies about your tow agent). The agent will call you to make pick-up arrangements that suit you best.

From there it’s just a matter of time until we disburse your gift. You can select any Canadian charity as your car donation recipient. You read that right: ANY charity in Canada can receive your vehicle donation proceeds!

Although we are sorry to say that Angelo won’t be the hero behind the wheel for your transport process, we are confident that you will be served with efficiency and excellent donor care. Here at Donate a Car Canada it’s all about your car, and your charity of choice. We are committed to honouring Angelo’s exceptional career by continuing the work of bringing valuable vehicle donations for the charities Canadians love!

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How much is my car donation tax receipt?

The short story: car donation tax receipt outcomes vary from province to province, and even city to city. This is because all donated vehicles are assessed on their own merits. We have seen re-sale donation outcomes as high as $66,850.00! A few years back, Prostate Cancer Canada received a Mercedes donation of $27,000.00! Although these results are not typical, it is not uncommon for us to send thousands of dollars to receiving charities for auctioned vehicles.

Recycle-ready car donation outcomes are as varied as the cars, donors, and provinces they represent! In some cities we see outcomes as high as $600.00 for a scrap-ready car!

Car donation tax receipt: here’s the breakdown

Donate A Car Canada has three possible sale procedures that maximize the donation outcome for our charities. Here’s how we work:

1. Many donated cars are ready for the recycle process: This applies to vehicles that are ready to come off the road. The donation amount for each varies. Dollar outcomes depend on your donation location, and what the market will pay for the year/make/model. The vehicle will be picked up by our towing agent at no cost to you.
2. We always assess: is a vehicle suitable for sale at auction? Several factors go into qualifying a vehicle for auction. Drivability, mechanical condition, age, visual appearance, and mileage all impact this decision.
   Vehicles sold at auction are sold ‘as is’ and ‘unreserved’. Sales are to the highest bidder, as a full and final sale. Outcome at auction varies. As such, we cannot guarantee a specific sale result.
3. Our third option applies to vehicles that may not perform well at auction, but that are not ready for recycling. Our re-sale/recycle process begins with the free tow. Once our agent has it on their yard they will assess your vehicle to determine if it should be recycled or re-sold. This will be based on the current market. If they determine that they will not find interested buyers, they will recycle your car. If they see re-sale value in your vehicle, they will advertise it to their own buyer base. They will send us the net proceeds from the re-sale price.

Will this cost me anything?

There is no cost to either donor or charity for this process. Donate a Car and their cooperating agents (we serve from coast-to-coast!) do have costs.

We keep our own overhead to a minimum. This is done in several ways, not the least of which is our work from home staff. Having the team work from home has been one of Donate a Car’s cost-saving measures from day one! Furthermore, keeping our staffing numbers lean cuts the bills, too. It does mean that we each work at a clip! And it means we care (so personally) about each donor. Moreover, we strive to keep our environmental footprint small: we are almost entirely paperless. I could go on, but you get the picture.

Our agents mirror our mission: they often cut their own fees dramatically to accommodate complicated tows. They work overtime for our donors, too. Additionally, they boost the amounts they’re willing to pay per vehicle whenever they can.

Any costs to the process are taken from the final sale amount on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis.

Works for me! How do I go ahead?

Just click the big red button right here! The donation form you find there will get you set-up in just a few minutes. Next? Await a call from our supporting tow agent. Then, it’s a free tow. A tax receipt will land in your inbox within a week of our disbursing your donation to your charity of choice.

A consideration: some of our agents will offer a small bump in the sale outcome of the vehicle if it is dropped off at their property. This doesn’t always apply, but do ask if that’s an option for you!

You are also invited to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. There you will be able to keep up-to-date on posts that showcase amazing donors and charities in every province in Canada!

We look forward to serving you and your charity of choice!

The post How Much is My Car Donation Tax Receipt? appeared first on Donate A Car.

Father’s Day your own way

Mother’s Day comes with a thousand gift ideas and sales galore. Dad’s day isn’t quite so marketing-heavy! Are you looking for creative ways to engage your own pops this year?

Here at Donate a Car Canada we can serve any charity in Canada. What does this mean for you? For Father’s Day? Well, to start with…

Is it time to get your Camry off Dad’s driveway?

Gift dad the ultimate peace of mind by donating that unused/unwanted vehicle you’ve been storing in his back yard. Or his garage. Or his driveway. There’s not cost to you! We’ll do all of the set-up for your free tow. You can choose any charity you (or, better yet, Dad!) wish to receive the net proceeds from the re-sale/recycling of your old vehicle!

Click here for the 10 minute set-up process:

You can also give us a jingle at 1-877-250-4904 and have us do the form for you over the phone.

Staying active – together – this Father’s Day

No vehicle to donate, but curious about donating to a charity in Dad’s honor? Many of our receiving charities have unique fund raisers on-the-go. You can ride, hike, sleep, or rapel (Yes, rapel!) your way to raising a donation in your father’s name.

You and Dad can join together in a challenge for

• Make-a-Wish Northern Alberta: rapel or trek – Rope for Hope or Trailblaze for Wishes.

• The Lighthouse Supported Living and Asthma Canada give-a-dollar programs in the works.

• The ARCH Hospice “Virtual Great Bucket List Cycle” effort, or the Peloton/Kids Cancer Care cycle challenge!

Or almost any local animal shelter: they would welcome your joint effort in collecting wish-list goodies for the animals in their care!

These are just a few examples. Explore our charities list, select a charity that Dad can get behind, and find out what they’re up to! Visit the charity’s web page and you’ll be sure to find a “way to give” that is a good Father’s Day gift match!

With gratitude for dad

Here’s to time spent together, whether in person, or virtually, this Father’s Day. And to the together-goodness of joining hearts and minds in spreading Canadian respect and generosity!

The post Father’s Day appeared first on Donate A Car.

Stollery Children’s Hospital luv

Our more well-known charities pack quite a punch in inspiring donations. It’s not unusual for the most broadly known to draw five or six digit figures over the course of a year. This past year, the Stollery Children’s Hospital was one of those charities!

That monetary impact is the direct result of vehicle donors. Car by car, and truck by truck, donation dollars add up.

But there’s more!

We work with auction houses in many of Canada’s major centers. Any time we receive a vehicle that meets our auction criteria, we have the vehicle picked-up and sold, as-is to the highest bidder. The net proceeds from the sale go to the donor’s charity of choice. This can result in a donation outcome of thousands of dollars for the cause!

Just this past month we received a call from one of our supporting auction houses. Their sub-contracted towing company made arrangements with our vehicle donor to get a car picked up and hauled in for re-sale.

Business as usual, right? So we thought…until we learned the rest of the story:

The subcontracted towing agent learned that the donor was giving the car on behalf of the Stollery Children’s Hospital. That struck a cord. The driver went an extra mile! Tows are free to our donors, of course. But our agents do need to get paid out from the value of the vehicle. ‘Nothing out of the donor’s pocket, but a modest amount is removed from the final outcome. This driver wanted to be sure that every penny went right to the SCHF. He provided his services for free!

Why this matters

Small gestures like that of this tow driver have important, incremental effect. Every donation dollar counts.

Some time ago, our then-contact at the SCHF sent us this gentle reminder of how these donation dollars impact real children:

“Madelyn was born with a serious heart problem. At only seven days old, doctors at the Stollery performed open-heart surgery on her tiny heart. Her heart was just the size of a walnut. Now two years old, Madelyn has survived two heart surgeries and is awaiting her third. She continues to grow and hit milestone after milestone at home.

Thank you for helping the Stollery care for kids like Madelyn – it’s incredibly inspiring to know that you continue to think of others during what has proven to be a difficult time for us all. Because of you, we can make sure the Stollery’s front-line caregivers have the support and specialized equipment they need to continue delivering urgent, critical care
to those who need it most. Together, we can give kids from backyards across Alberta and beyond the best chance to live a long and healthy life.”

Joanna Begg Pattison, BA
Senior Manager, Community Initiatives
Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation

Find out more

‘Curious about what else is happening at the SCHF? Check out the Stollery web site for so many details about their mission and their patients. Interested in donating your car to help in their ongoing efforts to help vulnerable kids? We can help with that!

Donate your unused or unwanted vehicle today. While not all of tow drivers are in a financial position to provide free service (these folks work very, very hard for their living — in every condition imaginable!), the tow will always be free to you, the donor.

Vehicle pick-up typically happens within 1 – 5 days of us receiving your donation form online or over the phone. You’ll have all kinds of say in how and when that happens. And, of course, you choose the charity that will receive your gift! Like the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, there are almost 1,000 hard-caring organizations ready to put your gift to good work!

The post Stollery Children’s Hospital appeared first on Donate A Car.

Can you find the car hidden in the photo? A photo like this one came to us from Mr. Tonnelly, one of our generous Ontario donors!

Make a Wish | a wish fulfilled

The Tonnelly’s donated their hard working ’01 Lincoln when she was ready for her last ride. Wanting to see the car’s legacy of industrious effort (there was over 445,000 km on the car!) extended, they chose to gift the Make a Wish Foundation with their auction sale outcome.

The Make a Wish Foundation has a mission! They seek to “grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.” With 5,000 wishes and counting, they’re fulfilling their mission daily, and donors like the Tonnelly’s are at the heart of that ongoing endeavor.

This winter, you can have your own heart-warming impact on the children that Make a Wish. Moreover, there are other children’s charities to support. Give, get involved, or just spread the word and make a difference in a child’s life today!

How this all works

Donating your car, truck, SUV, or van is so easy!

Online form: less than 10 minutes of your time.

Donor support: efficient and consistent — we’ll keep you in the loop every step of the way.

Free tow service: you won’t believe how easy our agents make it! They’ll call at the number you provide. You’ll let them know your best timing for pick up. They will come for your vehicle and take care of the registration particulars!

Your charity of choice: every penny of the net proceeds go to any charity you choose in Canada! No cost to you, and free for your charity, too!

You can also visit us on our Facebook page and send us a photo of how winter is treating your trusty vehicle (Just click on the little grey camera icon in the comment bar to add your photo.)! And when winter finally melts away and releases your car from her frozen clutches we are more than happy to tow it away for free.

The post Make a Wish Foundation: Winter Donor Warms Hearts appeared first on Donate A Car.